Jan 30 - A QUEENSLAND man raped and locked in a cage for weeks at a time by a Salvation Army officer was subsequently told to sign documents waiving his right to sue, despite the organisation knowing he could not read.

Feb 1 - THREE great centres of civilisation arose in the Neolithic Age across the Eurasian land mass - in the Near East, in the west of India and in China - and in due course these Mediterranean, South Asian and East Asian civilisations came to dominate the world, converting those peoples who had not reached the same level of development on their own, and influencing each other in ways that continue to unfold today.

Islam

Jan 26 - Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysian churches defiantly continued to use the word "Allah" to refer to the Christian God in Sunday services despite the Muslim-majority country's leader saying they must obey rules against it.

ISLAM

Jan 28 - WITH an arm rested on a ute-mounted heavy machine-gun while the flag of al-Qa'ida offshoot the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham waves next to him, Australian man Mohammed Ayub smiles wildly and poses for a battlefront photo in Syria.

Feb 2 - Al-Qaeda-linked groups that are enticing dozens of Australians to join the bloody conflict in Syria have begun setting up camps to train foreign fighters to launch terrorist attacks when they return home.